Show GROWING SUGAR BEET SEED outbreak of european war has cut off supply from germaey farm er must find new source the greater part 0 the busar beet seed sown each year in the united states has formerly been imported from europe principally from er many and russia the outbreak of the present war has cut off this sup ply and now the problem Is to find new sources tor obtaining seed ahe growing of beet seed has been neg lecter in this country due to a decreasing sugar content in beets from native grown seed and also to the scarcity of the hand labor necessary in harvesting the crop but now it Is up to the american farmer to grow his own seed although most of the factories have sufficient seed on hand for the 1916 sowing yet a considerable acreage has been set to seed beets the beets are set out early in spring in rows four feet apart the crown of the beet being just level with the surface of the ground first a large thick cluster of leaves grows up to about 18 inches in height and then the seed stalks appear some beets send up but one large branching seed stalk but the majority have several tour to ten of the tall branching stalks the beets are cultivated both ways similar to corn until about the first of july when the seed stalks get so tall in some cases reaching up five and six feet and bending over prevent cultivation when viewed near by a field of these plants does not present a very prepossessing appearance the tall straggling seed stalks greatly resembling large plants of the narrow leaved or curly dock |